This Anderson Shelteris a replica of one type of Air Raid Shelterused during the war.

They were given to homeswhich had a garden.They were part buried in the soiland covered in earth.

When the Air Raid siren soundedfamilies would run to their shelterfor protection from the bombs.

Rosemary Barham

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Rosemary Barham

Rosemary remembers sleeping in a shelter:

“Inside the Anderson shelter there were four bunks, so you could get four adults or however many children.

I remember I slept on the bottom bunk. It was dark and you had to have a candle.

One particular night the two houses close by had direct hits in the air raid and although rubble blocked the entrance to the shelter and they had to dig us out, and our house was in a terrible state, the shelter wasn’t damaged. I think these shelters did save a lot of lives.

I used to worry about our cat because he wouldn’t come down with us.And I used to dig holes in the side of the shelter and bury my little teddy bears in there. They had been killed in the war and I would bury them and then dig them up again and bury them again.

I was a bit ghoulish as a child.”

Sheltering from the bombs

During World War Twothe government knew that air raids would kill many ordinary people. John Anderson was the ministerresponsible for the protection of the public.

Anderson Shelters were freeif you earned less than £250 a year.Others had to pay £7.

Over 2 million Anderson Shelterswere built before and during the war.

People who didn’t have a gardenwere given Morrison Sheltersor used the public shelterswhich were built in each area.

Find Out More

To find out more about Air Raid Shelters in Croydon in the Second World War

You can visit the Research Room to look at:

• Photographs of Air Raid Shelters
• Books such as
"Croydon and the Second World War"

The Research Room is on the
lower ground floor of the Clocktower,
It is open Tuesday-Saturday
10:30am-5pm.